Reducing-valve.



`N0..672,787. Patented Apr. 23, |9ol.

S. W. LEWIS.

REDUCING VALVE.

(Application filed Ort. 22, 1900.

Nin Ans SAMUEL WALKER LEVIS, NEW YORK, (BROOKLYN,) NEW YORK, AS- SIGNORTO GEQRGE E. GILCHRIST, OF MELROSE,A MASSACHUSETTS.

REDUCING-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,787, dated April23, 1901.

Application iiled October 22, 1900. Serial No. 331940. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL WALKER LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) in the countyof Kings and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reducing-Valves, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspeciiication, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to that type of device sometimes called areducing-valve and sometimes known as an automatic pressureregulator,and is adapted for use in automatically varying pressures on steam,water, gas, or other agent.

The invention is an improvement upon that described in the patent to E.A. McLaughlin, dated May 22, 1888, No. 383,314, and will be described inconnection with the drawings, in which- Figure l is a view inlongitudinal central section, representing the position of the parts ofthe valve when closed. Fig. 2 isa View in longitudinal central section,representing the position of the parts of the valvewhen the valve isopen. Fig. 3 is a cross-section upon the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a casing which is open at theend d and forms the piston-chamber B. It has the outlet C in theextension a', upon the outer edge of whichis a screw-thread d2 forreceiving a coupling-nut D, by which a pipe CZ is fastened to it. Italso has on its outer surface, at or near its upper end, thescrew-thread a3, upon which screws the threaded cylindrical end e of theopen-work or skeleton frame or casing E. This casing serves to rigidlyhold the pipe F by means of its outer end f, the said outer end having acentral hole e', provided with a screw-thread c2, with which the threadf at the outer end of the pipe F engages. The pipe, however, may besecured to the end f in any other desired way. The said end fot' theframe has an exterior screw-thread f2, which receivesa coupling-nutf3,by means of which the pipe f4 is attached to the regulator or valve. Theframe or casing E also serves to form the seat g for thepiston-resistance spring G. The pipe F extends into the cylinder B, isopen throughout its; length, and its lower end f5 forms a stationaryvalveseat. The pipe further serves, in connection with thecylinder-wall, as a guide and support for the piston H, which is movablein the cylinder B. The piston carries the movable valve I, which isrepresented as located in the cylinder in line with the pipe F and whichis movable toward and from the stationary valve-seatjl5 at the endl ofsaid pipe. It comprises a metal support t' of circular shape, upon theinner face of which a compressible packing t" may be mounted. This metalsupport is attached to the piston by arms t2, which preferably areintegral with the support and with a portion of the piston and betweenwhich are the passages or waterway 713, through which the liquid or gasflows from the pipe F into the cylinderB when the valve is open. Thevalve I also forms a portion of thecylinder and receives upon its outersurface pressure of the fluid or gas in the chamber. The cylinder B issuiiiciently large to provide outside the pipe E a pistonhead to receivethe pressure in the cylinder B, of any desiredarea. The size of theentire piston-head is such that the pressure in the cylinder B when duidor gas is not passing through it will not only cause the valve I to beclosed and held closed against the stationary valve-seat f5, but willalso cause the resistance-spring G to be compressed. In other words, inorder that the valve may be closed the piston area must be sufficient ascompared with the area of the port in the 'pipe F to enable the pressurein the cylinder B to not only overcome the pressure of the column ofwater or air in the pipe F, but to also overcome the pressure of thespring G upon the piston. This spring G bears against a movable seat g,attached to the piston sleeve or extension h, surrounding the pipe F andforming a long bearing upon the pipe for the piston. A screw-thread h isformed on the outer edge of this bearing or extension, upon which thespring-seat g is adapted to be screwed to vary its longitudinal positionand to thereby increase or diminish the tension of the spring G upon thepiston. The

Lseat as represented is in the form of a disk having the threaded holec2, the thread of IOO which engages the thread h of the piston eX-tension, anda lsunkenl recess or channel' gof a width to receive aportion of the spring. The piston H, it will be seen, has two bearings,the outer one, h2, against the inner surface b of the cylinder and theinner one, h3, against the outer surface of the lower end of the pipe F.It is essential for the safe use of the device that these bearings shallbe tight at all times when the valve is in action and whenit is not, andI have secured this result by the employment of cup-packings so arrangedthat whilethey are maintained in shapeby sections of the piston they arealso subject to the pressure of the' fluid or gas deri'ved from thecylinder, which is caused to exert a continuous and uniform degree ofpressure against the inner surfaces of the packings throughouttheirinn'ercircumferences. This result is obtained by providingthe-piston H `the cylinder and to cover the chan-nel h4.

The packing is heldv to the piston by a clamping-nut k12, which screwsupon the threaded section h13 of the piston and serves to clamp thesection h1@ of the cup-leather against t'he y'shoulder h6.Thecup-leather H2, which packs tliejo'int' between the inner edge of thepis- `ton Vand the wall of the pipe F, has an outer annular flangeor-section h14 and a cylindrical section 71,15. The section 7t14 bearsagainst the shoulder h7 and is clamped thereon by the inner end of thepistonextension h, which screws into-the section -h of the piston, andthe cylindrical part 77,15 of the inner cup-packing is contained betweenthe inner edge of the piston and the outer surface of the pipe F,covering the innerchannel h5. Pressure contained in the piston channelsor chambers h4 h5 will therefore yieldingly act against the cylindricalparts of the cup-packing to force and hold the cup-packing H2 againstthe wall of the pipe F, and this maintaining pressure upon the packingswill be caused and coutinued so long as there is pressure inthecylind'er B, the duid or gas under pressure communicating freelythrough the inlets ha with the chamber or channel h4 and by the inlet hgwith the channel or chamber h5, the vcuppackings being protected andheld on each side of the pressure zones by continuous sections of thepiston.

The employment of cup-packings in a device of this character, as abovespecied, permits the fitting of the piston to the outer bearing of thepipe F and the cylinder-bearing without any mechanical diiiculty orunnecessary machine-workand insures uid and gas tight joints at alltimes when under pressure and suitable wearing provision at all times.

The operation of the valve or regulator.

.substantially like that of other pressure-regulators which areconstructed `Vto actfupon and be controlled by the variations of pistonarea,

. with this exception, that the areas are so adjusted that the pressurein the cylinder will serve to move the piston against the pressure :ofthe resistance-spring, and by varying the tension of this spring thedegree of pressure formed by that portion of theendof the sleeve whichbears upon the4 pipe. It will also' be seen that the latter bearing isthe only metal contact between any part of the piston and the pipe andAthat it isseparated from theinner cup-packing bearing by arelativelylong chamber between the twobearings, which also separates the pipe fromthe sleeve. It will further be seen that eachof t'he'cup-p'ackingbearings is'formed'by a lcup-packing, the wall of the cylinder, and apressure channel or chamber in the wall of the-'cylindercon-nected withthe cylinder and receiving pressure therefrom which acts upon the sideofthe cup-pa'clzingt'o force it` against its bearing, the piston-wallsupporting the'cup-packing upon each side of this pressure channelorrecess and so that the' lower or free end of each cup-packing is held.in placel or to its bearing by the piston-Wall, and thus cannot byshrinkage'or any other means become iuoperative. I would further callattention to the fact that the springemployed is not used for thepurpose of closing the valve, but act-s in opposition to itsA closingmovement.y It Will be noted, further, that' the metallic or outerbearing is narrow and being quiteremoved from the inner or non-metallicbearings permits the said inner orA non-metallic bearings toautomatically adjust themselves to the wall of the pipe which furnishesthe central bearing ofthe piston' and the wall of the cylinder as wellunder all conditions of use.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to sec ureby Letters Patent of the United States@ 1. The combination in apressure-regulator of the cylinder, an inlet and'outlet therefrom,

a stationary valve-seat about the inlet, a piston in the cylinder havinganannular chan- IIO nel or recess in its edge which is connected to thecylinder to receive pressure therefrom, and a cup-packing attached tothe piston to be carried .by it and have a section between its edge andthe wall of the cylinder which covers the annular recess or channel inthe piston and is supported upon its inner surface by the wall of thepiston upon each side of the recess or channel, and a valve to closeagainst the stationary valve-seat connected with the piston to be movedthereby.

2. The combination in a pressure-regulator of the cylinder, an inletthereto, an outlet therefrom, a stationary valve-seat about the inlet, apiston in lthe cylinder-chamber, a valve to close against the stationaryvalveseat connected with the piston to be moved thereby, a cup-packingcarried by the piston having a section between it and the wall of thecylinder, a second cup-packing carried by the piston having a sectionupon the inner edge of the piston between it and the bearing-wall, thepiston having a channel or recess in its outer edge and one in its inneredge covered respectively by the outer and inner cup-packings, whichrecesses or channels are connected with the cylinder-chamber and receivepressure therefrom.

3. The combination in a pressure-regulator of a cylinder, a stationarypipe extending into the cylinder providing an inlet-passage, astationary valve-seat and an inner bearing for the piston,a piston inthe cylinder mounted upon said pipe and packings interposed between saidpiston, said stationary pipe and the cylinder-Wall, the surfaces ofwhich furnish the only contacts of the piston with the pipe and with theWall, and a bearing-sleeve attached to the piston, surrounding said pipeand having a narrow bearing upon said pipe at its outer end only, and avalve carried by said piston to close against the stationary valve-seat.

4. The combination in a pressure-regulator of a cylinder, a stationarypipe extending into the cylinder providing an inlet-passage thereto,astationary valve-seat therein and an inner bearing upon which the pistonmoves,-

a piston mounted in the cylinder and upon said pipe havingasteadying-sleeve surrounding the pipe and having a narrow outer bearingthereon considerably removed from the main piston-bearing, packingsinterposed between the piston and the cylinder and the piston and thestationary pipe, a valve carried by said piston to close against thestationary valve-seat,and as pring to bear against the piston with themain Water-pressure and to be compressed by the movement of the pistonupon the closing of the valve.

5. The combination in a pressure-regulator of a cylinder, a stationary,hollow pistonbearing extending into the cylinder providing aninlet-passage and a stationary valveseat, a piston mounted in saidcylinder upon said bearing, packings interposed between the piston andthe cylinder and said hollow bearing, recesses or channels in the.piston covered by or back of said packings, which channels or recessesare connected with the cylinder to receive pressure therefrom and arearranged to direct it upon the packiugs to force and maintain themagainst the bearings and a spring to bear against the piston inopposition to the pressure of the cylinder and means for adjusting thetension of the spring.

6. The combination in a pressure-regulator of a cylinder, a central,stationary, hollow bearing providing an inlet to the cylinder and astationary valve-seat, an ann ular piston contained in thepiston-chamber having the recesses or channels h4, h5, shoulders h6, hl,an annular extension 7tlg having an interior and exterior screw-thread,packings H', H2, sections of which rest on the shoulders h6, hl' andsections of which cover the channels or recesses h4, h5, nuts screwingon the threaded extension to clamp the sections of the packings againstthe shoulders, as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination in a pressure-regulator of the casing A forming apiston-chamber, its outlet, the said casing having a screw-thread aboutits outlet and also about the end opposite the outlet, a cage having atone'end an annular threaded ring to screw upon the cylinder-casing andat the other end an annular ring threaded upon its exterior to receive apipe-coupling and upon its interior to hold a pipe or bearing, the saidpipe or bearing extending into the cylinder and having a. valveseat atits lower end, a piston having an inner and outer channel in its sidesas described connected with the cylinder, piston-packings secured to thepiston by nuts and having sections extending over said channels orrecesses, one of said nuts having an elongated extension upon the pipeand acting as a bearing and being provided with an exterior thread, athreaded spring-holder adjustable on said threaded extension, apressure-spring to bear upon said holder and the case and a valve toclose against the stationary seat attached to the piston to be movabletherewith.

8. In a pressure-regulator, the combination of a cylinder having aninlet thereto, an outlet therefrom and a stationary valve-seat, a pistonin the cylinder having a central hole and an annular channel or recessextending inward from the wall of said hole and an an- -nular channel orrecess extending inward from its outer wall, cup-packings attached tothe piston, one of which extends over itsinner wall and covers therecess or channel therein and the outer face of which is supported uponboth sides thereof by the wall of the piston and which furnishes theinner bearing for the piston, and the other of which cuppackings is uponthe outer wall of said piston and extends across the recess or channeltherein and is supported upon both sides thereof by the said outer wall,furnishing an Outer bearing for the piston, the said piston lOO IIO

is I 672,78*?

recesses or channels being connected with the cylinder to receivepressure therefrom, a valve to close against theestationary valve-seatconnected with the piston, and a spring to actin opposition to theclosing movement of the valve.

9. The combination in a pressure-regulator of a cylinder having aninlet, an outlet and a valve-seat, a piston in the cylinder having avalve to close against the Valve-seat and provided With three bearings,one furnished only by a cup-packing against the Wall of a oylin'd der,one furnished only by a cup-packing against a central stern, the twocup-packings being in line With each other and a narrow exteriorlmetallic bearing upon the stern considerably removed from the'packingr-bearimq` and separated from it by a chamber.

' SAML. WALKER LEWIS.

Witnesses: F. F. RAYMOND, 2d,

J. M. DoLAN.

